Uses of chitosan for treating different forms of serious obstetrics hemorrhages.

Postpartum hemorrhage is a major cause of maternal death worldwide. Many therapeutic strategies have been developed to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality like oxytocin, prostaglandin, and uterine balloons. A new member of the therapeutic arsenal has recently emerged, the chitosan (Celox®), used since several years by military doctors to stop bleeding of combat wounds. In 2012, a first study was reported with the successful use of chitosan-coated gauze to treat severe postpartum hemorrhage. We report here four cases of the use of chitosan to treat life-threatening obstetric bleeding. In the first case, a pelvic packing with chitosan gauze after hemostatic hysterectomy with persistent bleeding. In the second case, the use of chitosan powder in a case of severe bleeding from multiple vaginal tears. In the third case, the use of chitosan gauze in uterine packing for postpartum hemorrhage by atonia. In the fourth case, the use of chitosan powder for stop bleeding during a hemorrhagic cesarean section. Postpartum hemorrhage of uterine origin resistant to treatment with prostaglandins can be treated with chitosan-coated gauze. This treatment requires no training and its costs are one fifth those of a Bakri® intrauterine balloon. Using these two forms of chitosan, powder and gauze, we have a new therapeutic method at our disposal for dealing with the most serious cases of bleeding.

Physiological roles of tryptophan in pig nutrition.

Tryptophan (TRP) is shown to play original roles in the physiology of pigs. Dietary TRP deficiency induces depression of the appetite leading to reduced growth performance. Brain hydroxy-indoles, including the neurotransmitter serotonin, are closely related to dietary TRP supply. Excess protein, namely large neutral amino acids (LNAA) enhanced the appetite depression, providing some support to a role for plasma TRP:LNAA in the regulation of protein intake through serotonin. Other implications of TRP, as a precursor for serotonin, in the susceptibility of pigs to stress and in their consequences on meat quality were reported. Furthermore, we concluded to a role for TRP in the insulin response to the meal and in tissue sensitivity to insulin. Implications in pig feeding practice are briefly reviewed.

Effects of body weight and feed intake level on basal ileal endogenous losses in growing pigs.

An experiment was carried out to determine the effects of feeding level, body weight, and time after surgery on basal ileal endogenous amino acid (AA) and N losses in growing pigs. Three pairs of littermate pigs were surgically prepared with ileo-rectal anastomoses. One pig in each pair was anastomosed at 38 kg BW, and the remaining pigs were anastomosed at 67 kg BW. Each pig received at different periods 50, 70, or 90 g of dry matter per kilogram of BW.75 of a protein-free diet according to a Latin square design involving three pigs starting at 45 kg BW and involving six pigs starting at 77 kg BW. For most AA, the time after surgery x feeding level interaction was significant. The basal endogenous losses (in g/d) increased linearly with feeding level at both BW. At the higher BW, the basal endogenous losses (in g/kg DMI) were constant regardless of feeding level, whereas at the lower BW they responded quadratically. At the low feeding level, the endogenous losses were higher than at the medium or high feeding level. We concluded that the basal endogenous losses are proportional to DMI when the feeding level is higher than 70 g/kg BW.75. The AA profile was not influenced by these three variables, but there was a large animal effect. These results suggest that, in digestibility trials, an assessment of the basal ileal endogenous AA losses must be performed on each pig to correct the apparent ileal AA digestibility data.

Effects of dietary level of lysine and of level and source of protein on feed intake, growth performance, and plasma amino acid pattern in the finishing pig.

The effects of dietary level of lysine and of level and source of CP on voluntary feed intake, growth performance, plasma free amino acids, and carcass characteristics were investigated in a study involving 60 female and 60 castrated male Large White finishing pigs (from 42 to 101 kg live weight) with ad libitum access to feed. Six treatments were compared according to a 2 x 3 factorial plan, with two levels of lysine (.55 and .65% selected below the recommended levels for both sexes) and three types of CP (N x 6.25) supply: a 13% CP diet based on wheat, peanut meal and soybean meal; a 15.6% CP diet providing the same amino acid pattern as that of the basal diet; and a 15.2% CP diet containing the same levels of essential amino acids as the 13% CP diet, with the addition of glutamic acid as a source of nonessential amino acids. By maintaining a constant amino acid pattern separate changes in dietary lysine and CP levels resulted in a relative independency of their effects on feed intake, growth performance, and body composition. Muscle gain increased with supplementary lysine, with a lower response at the lower CP level (13%). At the same level of lysine (.55 or .65%), increasing protein content from 13 to 15.6% did not affect feed intake, but growth rate was lower and feed/gain was increased, partly because of an additional energy cost resulting from catabolism of excess protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chronic lung inflammation affects plasma amino acid concentrations in pigs.

Metabolic changes associated with inflammatory processes and immune response can modify protein and AA requirements. Improved knowledge of these processes will provide opportunities for nutritional intervention to sustain growth and animal defense at the same time. The objective of the study was to identify AA whose metabolism is affected by chronic lung inflammation. Six pairs of littermate piglets were selected at 28 d of age on the basis of their BW. After catheterization of the jugular vein, one littermate received complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) intravenously, whereas its littermate was injected with a sterile saline solution (CON). Piglets within a litter were pair-fed in order to avoid confounding effects of feed intake and inflammation on plasma AA concentrations. Blood samples were taken after an overnight fast and 2 h after the morning meal for 9 d. Rectal temperature, food consumption, weight gain, plasma haptoglobin, and AA concentrations were measured. The CFA injection decreased food intake, and increased body temperature and plasma haptoglobin concentration. Plasma tryptophan, glutamine, proline, glycine, tyrosine, ornithine, total AA concentrations, and the ratio of tryptophan to large neutral AA were less in CFA than in CON (P < 0.05), independent of time and meal. In contrast, plasma histidine concentration was higher (P < 0.05) in CFA than in CON pigs. Plasma serine, arginine, alanine, asparagine, and total AA concentrations were lower in CFA than in CON pigs only in the fed state (P < 0.05). Among essential AA, only plasma tryptophan concentration was lower (P < 0.01) in CFA than in CON pigs in both fasted and fed state. These results show that chronic lung inflammation affects individual AA differently and suggest that the utilization of some AA increased during chronic lung inflammation in pigs. Activation of tryptophan catabolism enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase seems a relevant hypothesis to explain the increased tryptophan utilization, although its incorporation in acute-phase proteins and the existence of other catabolic pathways cannot be excluded.

Growth performance and brain neurotransmitters in pigs as affected by tryptophan, protein, and sex.

The effects of dietary levels of tryptophan (TRP) and protein on voluntary feed intake, growth performance, muscle pH, and brain indoleamine and catecholamine concentrations were studied in an experiment involving 48 crossbred Piétrain x Large White pigs (38 kg initial weight). Equal numbers of females, intact males, and barrows were used and they were given ad libitum access to feed during the 28-d experiment. Four dietary treatments were compared in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with the following levels of analyzed TRP and CP: 1) .12 and .16% TRP, suboptimum and optimum for growth, respectively, 2) 12.7% CP of a diet based on corn-soybean meal and adequately balanced for limiting essential amino acids other than TRP; and 16.7% CP diet with additional protein from corn gluten meal. Dietary CP interacted with TRP on feed intake and growth, with a greater depressive effect at .12% TRP than at .16% TRP in the three genders. Norepinephrine concentration, which was the highest in the preoptic area, was higher in females than in intact or castrated males. Serotonin concentration was increased by TRP supplementation in the different brain regions. Additional CP depressed serotonin concentration more at .12% TRP than at .16% TRP. The greater sensitivity of feed intake and growth of pigs, especially females, to TRP deficiency in the presence of additional CP may have been related to a more critical serotonergic activity, when hypothalamic serotonin concentration fell below a threshold level. Supplemental TRP increased muscle pH, both at 45 min and 24 h after death, in ham (adductor femoris and semimembranosus) and loin (longissimus), suggesting a sedative effect of TRP for reducing stress response.

Impact of dietary tryptophan and behavioral type on growth performance and plasma amino acids of young pigs.

Tryptophan (TRP) content in the protein of the weaning diet was varied from deficient (.70 g/16 g N) to adequate (1.15 g/16 g N) and excess (1.60 g/16 g N) in diets fed to 108 pigs from d 5 to d 26 after weaning (W) and in 72 pigs from d 26 after weaning to slaughter (100 kg live weight) to assess immediate and long-term effects of TRP on performance. Daily weight gain and feed efficiency were improved when dietary TRP was increased from deficient to adequate (+60 and +40%, respectively). Concurrently, daily feed intake was elevated moderately (+15%). No further improvement was observed with excess TRP. In the low TRP group, gain/feed was significantly poorer up to 25 kg live weight, but this effect did not continue later. Although no compensatory growth could be shown in the group fed the deficient diet, growth retardation was very small (1.5%; P greater than .10) at slaughter. Early changes in TRP supply did not affect either carcass or meat quality. Behavioral reactivity, as determined on day W + 5 in an "open-field" test, did not affect early performance, but growth rate during the growing-finishing stage (3.2%) or the whole period (2.5%) was greater by nonemotional than by emotional pigs. Plasma amino acid contents in blood samples, withdrawn on day W + 15 (fed state) and W + 17 (fasted state), were consistent with the effect of TRP on growth rates. However, in the fasted state, a diet x reactivity interaction suggested that TRP removal from the plasma was less rapid in nonemotional than in emotional pigs. Furthermore, increased plasma concentrations of essential amino acids and urea in the latter group suggested that protein and amino acid catabolism was more rapid in emotional than in nonemotional pigs. These data are discussed relative to the effect of the behavioral type of pig on its TRP requirement.

Impact of dietary tryptophan and behavioral type on behavior, plasma cortisol, and brain metabolites of young pigs.

The behavioral reactivity in an "open-field" test and plasma cortisol levels were studied in 72 pigs from 12 litters fed for 3 wk one of three diets with different levels of tryptophan: deficient (.14%), adequate (.23%), or excess (.32%). "Open-field" tests were performed three times: 5 d (day W + 5), 23 d (day W + 23) and 45 d (day W + 45) after weaning. The exploration time and the number of grunts provided an adequate measure of the individual emotional reactivity at day W + 5. Significant correlations were obtained between exploration time and the number of grunts at each time (r = -.83 at day W + 5; r = -.46 at day W + 23; r = -.71 at day W + 45). The distinction between animals remained (P less than .05) in terms of exploration time at both 23 and 45 d after weaning. At day W + 23, exploration time was lower in the group fed the adequate diet than in the two other groups. This effect was maintained subsequently after feeding all pigs the same adequate diet (day W + 45). In 36 pigs slaughtered at day W + 23, brain TRP concentration was higher with the excess dietary TRP than with deficient or adequate levels. Conversely, other plasma amino acids (particularly threonine) accumulated only in the brains of pigs fed the deficient diet. Plasma cortisol level assayed at weaning (W) and 2 wk later increased with age and was higher in 16-h fasted (day W + 15) than in 3-h fasted (day W + 17) pigs. Correlations were observed within litters in the fasting state, between the cortisol level and behavioral traits measured at day W + 23 (r = .70 for number of grunts, r = -.60 for exploration time). Dietary TRP did not affect the plasma cortisol level irrespective of the nutritional state after weaning. However, an interaction was noted between plasma cortisol and TRP status (P less than .05). Although dietary TRP induced large variations in brain amino acids and 5-hydroxyindole concentrations, changes in behavioral and cortisol responses were relatively minor.

Interactive effects of dietary levels of tryptophan and protein on voluntary feed intake and growth performance in pigs, in relation to plasma free amino acids and hypothalamic serotonin.

The effects of dietary level of tryptophan (TRP) and CP content and composition on voluntary feed intake, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in finishing pigs were studied in two experiments, with an equal number of females and castrated males. In Exp. 1, involving 120 Large White pigs from 44 to 99 kg BW with ad libitum access to feed, six treatments were compared according to a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement: 1) two levels of TRP (.09 and .13%), suboptimal and optimal for growth, respectively, 2) three types of CP supply (a 12.5% CP diet based on corn-soybean meal, and adequately balanced for essential amino acids [EAA] other than TRP; 15.7% CP diet with additional protein from corn gluten meal; 16.2% CP diet with additional nonessential amino acids [NEAA, in the form of L-glutamic acid.HCl and glycine], and the same levels of EAA as in the 12.5% CP diet. In Exp. 2, including four of the six previous factorial combinations (.09 and .13% TRP, 12.3 and 15.8% CP with additional protein), 32 pigs of 50-kg initial BW were used during 21 d, and further observations on meat quality characteristics, plasma free amino acid levels, and serotonin concentrations in the posterior hypothalamus were made. The major observed effects were interactions of different magnitude according to sex between TRP level and the amount and the composition of additional CP. At the suboptimal level of .09% TRP, the increase in protein content severely decreased daily feed intake and growth compared with the .13% level, especially in females. Conversely, the addition of NEAA at both TRP levels had little effect on daily feed intake and growth. Deficiency of TRP exerted a significant increase of pH in adductor femoris and semimembranosus muscles measured 45 min and 24 h postmortem, but only in females. Voluntary feed intake, as affected by dietary TRP and CP levels, was linearly related with concomitant changes in TRP to large neutral amino acids (TRP:LNAA) ratio both in feed and in plasma, which in turn was directly associated to hypothalamic serotonin concentration. It was concluded that an overly low concentration of serotonin in the hypothalamus, especially in females, as a result of TRP:LNAA imbalance, could be involved in the reduction of voluntary feed intake.

Marginal efficiency of free or protected crystalline L-tryptophan for tryptophan and protein accretion in early-weaned pigs.

We conducted an experiment to determine the efficiency of dietary tryptophan (Trp) for protein and Trp accretion in 4-kg (live weight) pigs. Five Trp-deficient diets were fed for 18 d after weaning. The basal diet contained 23.4% protein and .14% Trp. The four other diets were similar to the basal diet but were supplemented with .06 or .12% free or protected crystalline Trp. No differences were found between the two crystalline Trp forms for all variables under study. Equal amounts of all diets were fed by intragastric tube feeding. Daily weight gain (P < .10), gain:feed (P < .05), and daily protein retention (P < .01) increased linearly as dietary Trp increased. Similarly, retention and gross efficiency (retained: intake) of almost all amino acids increased. Tryptophan retention also increased linearly (P < .05), but gross efficiency was maximal (40.1%) with protein-bound Trp from the basal diet, and it decreased linearly as dietary Trp increased. This important reduction was the result of a low marginal efficiency for crystalline (13.6 +/- 3.3%) free or protected Trp.

[Schistosomiasis of the female genital tract: anatomoclinical and histopathological aspects. Apropos of 26 cases]. / Bilharziose du tractus génital chez la femme: aspects anatomocliniques et histopathologiques. A propos de 26 cas.

The authors report 26 cases of female genital schistosomiasis. This parasitosis is observed in women of ages ranging between 17 and 70 years (mean age = 30 years) and associated with sterility (6 cases), uterine tract cancer (1 case), tubular pregnancy (1 case), benign teratoma (1 case) and serous cystadenoma (1 case). The diagnosis is based on an histological analysis which shows several lesions with schistosomiasis (Schistosoma haematobium) eggs, confirmed by ZIEHL coloration. When coupled with infections these anatomical lesions lead to dysfunctions such as sterility and extra-uterine pregnancy through tubular dysfunction.

[Pregnancy in women wearing a heart valve prosthesis: 5 case histories (author's transl)]. / Grossesse chez les femmes porteuses de prothèse valvulaire cardiaque. A propos de 5 grossesses.

The study of a personal series of five pregnancies and the review of 130 cases published enabled us to recall the physiological, clinical and therapeutic sides of the "pregnancy-heart valve prothesis" combination. Maternal mortality remains at 3%; morbidity, essentially in the form of haemorragic or thrombo-embolic accidents, comes to 45%. We insist on the importance of a pregnancy planned and accepted both by the cardiologist and the obstetrician as contraception is a difficult problem with these patients, classical oestroprogestative methods and intra-uterine devices being too much of a risk. An intake of a progestagen in small doses combines efficiency with innocuity.

[Medical termination of pregnancy at 9-14 weeks gestation. Prospective study of 105 cases in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (French Guyana)]. / L'interruption volontaire de grossesse médicamenteuse de 9 à 14 semaines d'aménorrhée: étude prospective de 105 cas à Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (Guyane française).

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of mifepristone 600mg with misoprostol 800 mg, for termination of pregnancy at 9-14 weeks gestation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 105 women at 9 to 14 weeks gestation given 800 mg of vaginal misoprostol, 2 or 3 days after a single dose of 600 mg of mifepristone for pregnancy termination. Outcomes measures included mean expulsion time, the interval between fotal and placental expulsion, adverse effects, vaginal bleeding, requirement for analgesia, and hospital stay, analyzed by parity and gestational age. RESULTS: Pregnancy termination was successful in 92.4% of the patients without requirement for surgery. The mean time to expulsion was 6 hours. The fetus and placenta were expelled together in 79% of the cases. In 15% the conception products were retained in the cervical canal, and removed with a ring forceps. Additional misoprostol doses were necessary in 33% and analgesia (nalbuphine sublingually, mean dose was 10mg) in 56%. Significant bleeding was observed in 7.5%, leading to curettage in 2 patients. No statistically significant differences were found between the rate of success and term (9-12 versus 12-14) or parity. CONCLUSION: Combining oral mifepristone and vaginal misoprostol is a successful alternative to surgical termination of pregnancy, even after 9 weeks' gestation. The use of nalbuphine for analgesia improves acceptability; sublingual administration helps avoid invasive procedures. Before 14 weeks gestation, the legal limit for termination of pregnancy in France, the choice between the surgical and medical alternatives should be left to the patient.

[Typhoid fever and pregnancy]. / Fièvre typhoïde et grossesse.

Typhoid fever is rare in Europe, but well-recognized endemic disease in tropical zones. We report our findings in a series of 25 cases of typhoid fever during pregnancy observed in French Guiana and reviewed the literature on clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment. Salmonellea typhi causes septicemia of digestive origin that can cross the placenta resulting in chorioamniotitis. Maternal-fetal infection with S. typhi can lead to miscarriage, fetal death, neonatal infection, as well as diverse maternal complications. In order to avoid maternal complications and possible fetal transmission, treatment with ceftriaxone should be initiated as early as possible

A moderate inflammation caused by the deterioration of housing conditions modifies Trp metabolism but not Trp requirement for growth of post-weaned piglets.

Deterioration of the environment in which piglets are housed after weaning induces a moderate inflammatory response and modifies tryptophan (Trp) metabolism that can, in turn, decrease Trp availability for growth. We hypothesised that a Trp supply above the current recommendations may be required to preserve Trp availability and to maximise the growth of pigs suffering from moderate inflammation. The aim of this experiment was to compare growth performance and plasma concentrations of Trp and some of its metabolites in piglets, suffering or not from moderate inflammation, when they were fed diets containing graded levels of standardised ileal digestible (SID) Trp, obtained with the addition of crystalline l-Trp to the same basal diet (15%, 18%, 21% or 24%, relative to SID lysine). Differences in inflammatory status were obtained by housing the pigs under different sanitary conditions. Forty blocks of four littermate piglets each were selected and weaned at 4 weeks of age. The experimental design consisted of a split plot where the housing conditions (moderate inflammation v. control) were used as the main plot and dietary Trp content as the subplot. Body weight gain and feed intake were recorded 3, 5 and 7 weeks after weaning. Blood was sampled 13, 36 and 43 days after weaning to measure plasma concentrations of Trp, kynurenine and nicotinamide (i.e. two metabolites of Trp catabolism) and haptoglobin, a major acute phase protein in pigs. There was no interaction between dietary Trp and inflammatory status, irrespective of the response criterion. Compared with control pigs, pigs housed in poor housing conditions consumed less feed (P < 0.0001), had a lower growth rate (P < 0.001), higher plasma concentrations of haptoglobin (P < 0.05) and lower concentrations of plasma Trp irrespective of the Trp content in the diet. Increasing the Trp content in the diet improved feed intake (P < 0.05), growth rate and feed/gain (P < 0.05), but did not prevent the deterioration of performance induced by moderate inflammation because of poor housing conditions. The results of this study suggest that an inflammatory response caused by poor housing sanitary conditions altered Trp metabolism and growth performance, but this was not prevented by additional dietary crystalline l-Trp.

Reduced feed intake of lactating primiparous sows is associated with increased insulin resistance during the peripartum period and is not modified through supplementation with dietary tryptophan.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether insulin resistance is related to the dietary concentration of Trp and the ADFI of primiparous sows having similar body conditions. Twenty-four primiparous sows were catheterized on d 97 of pregnancy. Blood samples were collected during 3 tests: after the ingestion of 1.5 kg of feed (meal test), after the intravenous infusion of 0.5 g of glucose/kg of BW (glucose tolerance test), and during an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp with an infusion rate of 100 ng of insulin x kg of BW(-1) x min(-1). Both tests were performed at 4 stages at approximately d 103 and 110 of pregnancy and at d 3 and 10 of lactation. Sows were fed a diet containing 0.16 or 0.26% of total Trp (suboptimal vs. slight excessive Trp supply according to recommendations for lactating sows) from d 104 of pregnancy after the first clamp until weaning. The dietary treatment did not result in differences in ADFI, BW, and backfat changes, and growth of piglets during lactation. Plasma Trp concentration was greater for the sows allocated to the slight excessive Trp diet than for the sows allocated to the suboptimal Trp diet (P < 0.05). Plasma glucose, NEFA, and urea profiles during the meal tests were not affected by the dietary treatment. At d 3 of lactation, the insulin concentration at 105 (P = 0.03) and 120 min (P = 0.04) after meal intake was less for the sows allocated to the slight excessive Trp diet than for the sows allocated to the suboptimal Trp diet. On d 10 of lactation, the glucose half life (P = 0.03) and the time needed to reach 25% of the area under the insulin curve (P = 0.04) during the tolerance test were less for the sows allocated to the slight excessive Trp diet than for the sows allocated to the suboptimal Trp diet. The glucose infusion rate during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps was similar in the 2 Trp groups of sows. Irrespective of the dietary treatment, the ADFI of the sows was negatively related to the glucose half life during the glucose tolerance test and positively related to the glucose infusion rate during the clamp (P < 0.05). This relationship observed with the tests performed during early lactation was already found with the tests performed during late pregnancy (P < 0.02). Present findings indicate that a dietary Trp supply of 0.26% does not increase feed intake in lactating primiparous sows. This result indicates that the interest in a Trp supplementation during the peripartum period can be questioned. Irrespective of the dietary treatment, the reasons why sows with similar rearing conditions develop different rates of insulin resistance during pregnancy remain to be elucidated.

The effect of sanitary status degradation and dietary tryptophan content on growth rate and tryptophan metabolism in weaning pigs.

Health degradation modifies Trp metabolism through induction of Trp catabolism. This could limit the amount of Trp available for growth. The aims of the present experiment were to investigate the effects of a low grade inflammation and dietary Trp on growth and Trp metabolism. Eighty weaned pigs were assigned to 4 experimental treatments according to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement: 2 sanitary statuses x 2 dietary Trp contents. The Trp content was deficient (low-Trp: 2.4 and 1.9 g of Trp/kg of the phase I and phase II diets, respectively) or adequate (high-Trp: 2.9 and 2.4 g of Trp/kg of the phase I and phase II diets, respectively). A low grade inflammatory response was induced by housing pigs in unsanitary environment, whereas control pigs were housed in good sanitary conditions. Pigs were not fed ad libitum to avoid feed refusals. Growth performance was calculated 3, 5, and 7 wk after weaning. Blood was sampled 12, 33, and 47 d after weaning for the determination of plasma concentrations of Trp and related metabolites, kynurenine and pyridoxal-5-phosphate. The interaction between sanitary status and dietary Trp was not statistically significant in all measured criteria. Pigs kept in poor sanitary conditions grew slower (P < 0.001) during the entire experimental period and had greater plasma concentrations of haptoglobin (P < 0.001) than pigs housed in good sanitary conditions. Pigs housed in poor sanitary conditions had also decreased Trp plasma concentrations (P < 0.001), but plasma kynurenine concentrations were not affected. Our results indicated that a moderate inflammatory response was obtained by degrading the sanitary quality of environment. Additionally, poor sanitary conditions modified Trp metabolism, indicating that the amount of Trp available for growth and other metabolic functions might be reduced.

Feed intake in the multiparous lactating sow: its relationship with reactivity during gestation and tryptophan status.

Voluntary feed intake in sows after parturition may be related to the capacity of the sow to cope with the numerous changes occurring around farrowing. This experiment was undertaken to investigate whether the feed intake during lactation was related to the reactivity of the sow during gestation and plasma Trp and cortisol concentrations. On d 58 of pregnancy, 37 sows were individually placed in a novel environment, and their behavior was observed during a 5-min open-field test. This test allowed the selection of 12 reactive (R) and 8 nonreactive (NR) sows for the study. Sows were fed 3 kg of a standard gestation diet/d before farrowing and a standard lactation diet ad libitum thereafter. The behavioral reactivity of sows when a human touched their neck in the farrowing crate was evaluated on d 72 of gestation, and their behavior during farrowing was analyzed. Sows were catheterized on d 70 of gestation, and blood samples were taken after an overnight fast on d 37 before farrowing, daily during the week before and the week after parturition, and on d 14 and 21 of lactation for plasma Trp and cortisol determination. The NR sows were less reactive to human contact (P=0.02), had a shorter farrowing duration (P=0.02), and tended to have a shorter birth interval between piglets (P=0.09) than the R sows. Feed intake was greater for the NR sows than for the R sows during wk 1 of lactation (P=0.02), as well as during the whole lactation (P=0.03). Plasma cortisol concentration was maximal on the day after farrowing (P=0.01) and returned to basal concentration within 4 d postpartum. No relationship was observed between sow behavior and plasma concentration of cortisol. For both groups of sows, plasma concentrations of Trp between d 2 and 4 postpartum were less than during gestation (P<0.05). The NR sows had decreased plasma Trp concentrations compared with the R sows during wk 1 of lactation (P=0.02). A low reactivity during gestation was associated with behavior of the sow that was favorable to piglet survival during farrowing, increased feed intake, and decreased plasma Trp concentration during wk 1 of lactation. Further research is needed to elucidate whether Trp or Trp metabolites are related to reactivity and ADFI of the reproducing sow.